Dropping device for potato planters



l. HIST.

DROPPING DEVICE FOR POTATO PLANTERS. APPLICATION FILED AUG.17, 1920.

LMLBM V w Patented Oct. 10,19

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

Patented Oct. W, 1922.

2SHEETS.SHEET 2.

M o d W $2 flttozwug- 1. m'sr.

' DROPPING DEVICE FOR POTATO PLANTERS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 17. 1920. lfiwl fifi u tion ofa portion of a' p although the Fat Jenn HIST, or iirrraitcn; oncrobassieno are THE ctnvnrann IMPLEMENT Manuj Applicationfil ed has 17, 11920. 1 Serial no.

T0 aZZwh0mz't may eomemz-"y Be it known that '1, JoHN l -listrgresiding at Alliance, in the county of QStark and Stateof Ohio, have invented new and use ful Improvement in Dropping Devices for Potato Planters, of "which thedollowing 1s alfull, clear, and exaet description, r'eler ence being had to theaccompanyingdrawings, forming part ofthis specification. The present invention relates broadly to planters, and more particularly to dropping devices for potato plantersf'although its use in this particular is not alim'ited one! a t The principal object of the presentinvention is to provide a planter having means for positively insuring the feed of the seed to dropping mechanisml" Another object of the invention is tonpreve'nt the seed potato in the feed hopper from becoming banked andclogging the machine. l r The foregoing and otherobjects, together With theirattendant advantages, will be apparent as the in'ventionbecomes better un derstood, by reference to theaccompanying specification and drawings' it being preraised that changes maybemade in the various details and the manner of operation, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from thesp-irit of-the in vention; I In the drawings? I A Figure lis a side elevation partly in sec otato planterf: Figure 2 is a detail view partly' broken awayof the feed hopper; k i Figurefi is an end view of the hopper; Figure: 4E isa detail cross sectional view of a portion of the hopper illustrating the bottom. I t

t Figure 5 is a detail 'verticabsectional view of a portion of the hopper; and

Fi ure '6 is a sectional view onthe-line VI- Iof Figure 5. d p Inmy Patent No. l,035,l9l,'of"le ugust 13, 1912, l have-illustrated a potato-planting mechanism of the type with whieh the present invention is adapted to be ut1l1zed,j present "device is also adaptable for use With other types of planters. W ith planters of thetype illustrated in said patent, as well as with other makes,1thas' been necessary at times to manually sup tatoes to certain of the'buckets Which failed to automatically take seed fromithehopper. By the use otthe present invention, such p y r manual attention is rendered unnecessary.

'Referringmore particularly to the drawingjs there 1s illustrated l generally a portion of a suitable framework QQadapted to be supported on" an axle 3, which carries the usual wheels, not shown herein. 'jM'ounted onfthe axle 3 isasprocket wheel 4, for driving' a similar sprocket wheel 5 splined to a shaftwtl, extendingtransversely of the frame 2, the drive being effected through a suitable chain 7. r a

The shafte alsocarries a second sprocket w heel8, for driving a'conveyer chain 9,'pro-' vlded with a plurality number of which may bevaried in accordance With therapiditywith' Which it isdesired to plant. The conveyer chainis guided during its travel by suitably mounted sprockets ll,

, preferably forming a substan-' of buckets 10, the

12 and 13 tially rectangular course of travel therefor; If desired, one of these sprockets may have an adjustable mounting lt'to desired tensionon the conveyer chain;

Connected to the rear en'd of hopper lerpreferably formed with a downwardly and forwardly inclined bottom 16, causing the potatoes therein to gravitate toa position in the proximity "of theopening 17 through which the conveyer chain buckets are adapted topass. If a potato is in proper position adjacent the opening 17, it will be liftedbya buoket' lo and carriedupwardly around the sprocket lSQand thence forwardly through 'a horizontally extending trouglrshaped guide 18, to a vertically ex tending uide 19, from which they'will be deliverec as required for plai iting; I In order to preventclogging oftheappa ratus,due to banking or piling of the potatoes in the hopper 15,1 preferablyprovide a Vertical partition 20; having a lower por tion 2l vertically adjustable in accordance with the size of seed being planted; The opening 17 is automatically closed after the passage of each of the buckets 10 therethroughby a pivoted gate 22, drawn for wardly spring 23, secured between the hopper and the projection 24; on the gate. The upper "surface of the gate may be provided With'a concavity'or pocket25; adapt-- ed to receive a potato and properly position it, and also-With aprojection26,"engaging the bottom of the hopper andlimiting the forward movement of the gate underthe influence of spring 23. It will be apparent maintain the the frame isa that each of the buckets 10 will engage the gate 22, as clearly shown in Figure 5, and move the same against the action of the spring I have found in actual practicethat while a machine having only the features thus far described is commercially successful, the efficiency may be greatly increased by the addition of supplemental means for agitating or disturbing the mass of potatoes in the .hopper for insuring the feeding or positioningof the potatoesabove the opening 17 as rapidly as they are removed bythe buckets 10. This means as illustrated herein preferably comprises a pairof fingers or stirrers 27, each; secured to a crank 28, formed, one on each side of the sprocket Wheel12', in the shaft 29 carrying the Wheel and splined thereto. These fingers extend forwardly through openings 80 in the front end of the hopper 15, and as the shaft 29 isjrotated by the travel of the conveyer chain over the WheelKlZ, continually exert a gentle stirring and poking action on the potatoes, effectively preventing clogging and increasing 'the percentage of efliciency of feed of the machine. Due to the provision of comparatively large openings 30, it Will be apparent that, the fingers do not have to travel in a predetermined orbit, but may change throughout the succeeding cycles of rotation,

' if required, to prevent injuring the potatoes.

7 The advantages of the present invention arise from the provision of means for positively insuring the feed of potatoes to the conveyer buckets or dropping mechanism.

I claim:

' 1. In a potato planter, a dropping mechanism, a feed hopper, and movable means extending into the hopper and co-operating with the dropping mechanism for feeding potatoes thereto, the manner of movement ofisaid means being automatically changed b zthe. potatoes in said hopper, substantially as described. I I

2. In a potatoplanter, a'conveyer having a series of droppingbuckets thereon,- a hopper through which said buckets pass, and

movable means extending into said hopper for insuring the feed of a potato to each of said buckets, the manner of movement of said means being automatically changed by the potatoes in said hopper, substantially as described. I

3. Ina potato planter, a conveyor having a series ofdropping buckets thereon, a hopper through which said buckets pass, and an agitating finger extending into said hopper for insuring the feed of a potato to each of saidbuckets, the manner of movement of said finger being automatically changed by the potatoes in said hopper, substantially as described.

4. In a'potato planter, a conveyor having a, series of buckets thereon, a hopper through which said buckets pass, said hopper having a bottom opening therein for the admission of said buckets, a spring gate adapted to normally close said opening and having a pocket to receive a potato to properly position the same for each of said buckets, and means for insuring the feed of potatoes to said gate, substantially as described.

5. In a potato planter, a conveyor having a series of buckets thereon, a hopper through which said buckets pass, said hopper having a bottom opening therein for the admission of said buckets, a spring gate adapted to normally close said opening and having a pocket to receive a potato to properly position thesame for each of said buckets, agitating fingers extending into said hopper for insuring the feed of potatoes to said sprin gate, substantially as described.

6. g dropping mechanism for potato planters, comprising a conveyer chain, a series of buckets thereon, a hopper for supplying potatoes to said bucket, and a plurality of fingers extending into said hopper for agitating the potatoes therein, said fingers having changeable orbits of travel determined by the position of the potatoes in said hopper, substantially as described.

7 A dropping mechanism for potato planters, comprising a conveyer, a series of buckets thereon, means for driving said conveyer, a sprocket driven by said conveyer, a hopper for supplying potatoes to said conveyer, and means operated by said sprocket for agitating the potatoes in said hopper, the operation of said means being automatically changeable to accomodate different arrangements of potatoes in said hopper, substantially as described.

8. A dropping mechanism for potato planters, comprising a conveyer, a series of buckets thereon, means for driving said conveyer, a sprocket. driven by said conveyor,

v9. A dropping mechanism for potato i planters, comprising a conveyer, a series of buckets thereon, means for driving said conveyer, a sprocket driven by said conveyer, a hopper for supplying potatoes to said conveyer, and a plurality of loosely pivoted oppositely moving agitating fingers operated by said sprocket and having changeable orbits of travel for agitating the potatoes in said hopper, substantially as described.

10. A dropping mechanism for potato planters, comprising a conveyor chain, a series of buckets thereon, a hopper for supplying potatoes to said bucket, a plurality of fingers extending into said hopper for agitating the potatoes therein, and means for giving a combined reciprocatory and oscilplying potatoes to said bucket, and a plulatory movement to said fingers, the moverality of loosely pivoted fingers extending 10 ment of said fingers being varied by the po- .into said hopper and movable in changing tatoes in said hopper, substantially as deorbits for agitating and positioning the po- 5 scribed. tatoes therein, substantially as described.

11. A dropping mechanism for potato In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set planters, comprising a oonveyer chain, a semy hand. ries of buckets thereon, a hopper for supl JOHN HIST. 

